Polyester Insulation
Polyester Insulation is made out of spun polyester fibres including recycled plastic bottles so it’s a good green insulation material.
Polyester is an excellent insulation product if you are likely to come into contact with it regularly (ie. open attic room) as it does not release fibre dust or irritate the skin as some other insulation products can.
Polyester Insulation – is essentially the same material used in many pillows and is often manufactured by the same companies. Polyester is an excellent insulation product that has:
- great heat and cooling properties and is
- least toxic of almost all insulation
- primarily made from recycled plastic bottles.
- excellent acoustic blocking properties
Cost of Polyester Insulation:
Polyester insulation is generally one of the most expensive insulation products which is probably more to do with lack of supply than actual cost of manufacturing. There are a number of factors that can affect the cost of installing polyester insulation but as a guide, you could expect to pay around $1200 to have polyester insulation installed in 100sqm home if it is a simple installation and up to $1800 if it is remote or a complex installation.
Manufacturing:
Polyester Insulation is mainly produced in Australia however due to demand and higher prices many installers have looked to source polyester insulation from oversea – mainly China and Indonesia.
How Is Polyester Insulation Made?
Polyester Insulation involves melting the raw materials which includes recycled pvc bottles then spun rapidly and extruded out of small holes to form fibres. These fibres are bound together and shaped into batts.
Environmental Issues:
The main environmental benefit of polyester insulation is that it is manufactured out of up to 70% recycled plastic bottles. On the downside the manufacturing process for polyester insulation requires a large amount of energy compared with some othe insulation and so has a higher CO2 cost to the climate.
Fire Resistance:
Polyester is fire resistant material – it requires quite high temperature to burn. However fires can still occur due to poor installation of Polyester particularly where batts cover down lights & ceiling fans which can cause them to overheat. As a result of a number of fires attributed to improperly installed insulation the Government now requires all down lights to be covered by approved covers.
Advantages of Polyester Insulation:
- Relatively easy to install if ceiling space is open
- Made from recycled plastic – reducing landfill
- Both Heating and Cooling properties
- Excellent noise – Acoustic properties
- Resistant to Fire & Insects
- Does Not Shrink or effected by moisture
- None allergy or irritant to asthma suffers
- Long life span
- R_Value 1 – 3.5
Disadvantages of Polyester Insulation:
- Expensive price compared to other insulation material
- Higher CO2 cost of manufacturing than insulation like cellulose or natural wool
- Can emit toxic fumes if burnt at very high temperature